Open heart surgery in Bali

Open heart surgery in Bali

DENPASAR, Bali: The Sanglah General Hospital received Friday a
Rp 4.7 billion cardiac surgical machine from the Harapan Kita
Cardiac Hospital Foundation in Jakarta.

Antara reported that the sophisticated equipment was donated
under a cooperation between the Denpasar hospital and Harapan
Kita Foundation. It was handed over by the chief of the
foundation's board of trustees chairperson Halimah B. Trihatmodjo
to the Denpasar hospital director, Dr. GLM Rudiartha. Bali Deputy
Governor Ahim Abdurahim witnessed the presentation.

Halimah, wife of Bambang Trihatmodjo, President Soeharto's
eldest son, said only two of the 15 hospitals involved with the
foundation had been found to be eligible for assistance. The two
hospitals are the Sanglah and the Malalangyang general hospital
in Manado, North Sulawesi.

The other 13 hospitals will hopefully receive the machines
next year, she said.

The machines enable the two hospitals to perform open heart
surgery.

For the past two years the 15 hospitals have followed special
training to improve their capability in the treatment of patients
suffering from heart disease, blood vessel disorders and
pulmonary diseases. (swe)